Former Chiefs corner could get surprise 10th NFL season with new contender

Antonio Hamilton bucked the odds stacked against him years ago, and he's still looking for ways to keep the momentum going.

A former member of the Kansas City Chiefs defense, Hamilton recently took a visit with the Baltimore Ravens as the team searches for some veteran help in the face of preseason injuries and roster needs. Hamilton was one of several defensive backs and running backs to work out for the Ravens—seven players in total—on Saturday.

At this stage, Hamilton is a veteran corner whose career has lasted much longer than average. That's an incredible feat for a prospect who went undrafted, let alone one from a small school like South Carolina State.

Antonio Hamilton deserves a lot of credit for persevering so long in the National Football League.

Hamilton has plied his trade in the National Football League since 2016, when he signed with the Las Vegas Raiders after going unselected in the draft. Hamilton would not only make the active roster that season, but he went on to earn playing time on defense and special teams in 12 total games over his first two years.

While he was waived by the Raiders before the 2018 season, the New York Giants gave him a chance to play much more on both units. He appeared in 29 total games for the Giants in that span and made his first NFL starts in 2019.

The Chiefs came calling during free agency before the COVID-19-affected 2020 season. Hamilton came in as a special teams ace for Dave Toub's coverage units and added 12 tackles in spot duty in the Chiefs' secondary.

While Hamilton played in 16 games for Kansas City, he was one-and-done overall, but found a longer-term home with the Arizona Cardinals for the following three seasons following a failed preseason stint with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In Arizona, Hamilton would find his best opportunities at on-field impact with 16 total starts in 41 games.

Last year, at the age of 31, Hamilton played in 11 games with the Atlantan Falcons, dropping from 559 snaps on defense to just 39. That might be a sign that Hamilton's days are over as a defender, but he's still garnering interest from teams who need someone at the ready on special teams.

Hamilton has already played in 109 games over 9 seasons in the NFL, which is a tremendous testament to his talent and work ethic. Few players ever get to stick around at the highest levels for that long, let alone those who were overlooked in the draft to begin with. Maybe the Ravens will give him a chance to make it an even 10 seasons in the league.